Proverbs: Chapter 3:

Chapter 3: Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart:

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Remember the important things in life and follow the commandments of God. If we do that we will be able to add time (not always in years added to our actual time here, but we will be in the moment actually experiencing that time instead of worrying it away) to our lives because we aren't stressed as much as we would be if we didn't pursue God's law. God wants us to experience life joyfully, even though many troubles will come our way, if we turn to Him we will be given a peace that surpasses all human understanding. We should put love and faithfulness on ourselves just like we put clothing on, we should have God's love written on our hearts, so it radiates throughout our words, actions, and steps. We should strive to find favor in the sight of God, if we do this, we will produce deep relationships with those around us. It isn't about us, it is about God. It isn't our knowledge, it is His knowledge. We must acknowledge who He is and follow His teachings through His scripture. This is where pride enters in because we don't want to listen to anyone, we want to do what we want when we want, how we want, and to whomever we want. This is the heart of man. We believe we are the wise one amongst a world of fools. This is evil, and we should turn away from it. Every time we turn from evil, God is restoring us to Him and drawing us closer to His love. He refreshes our souls and shows us who He is. 

How can we show God that we appreciate how He blesses us? By giving Him the first portion of what He gave it to us. That's right, money. He wants us to give the best of what we have to offer to Him and do it from a heart of joy, not regret. Therefore, perspective is extremely important when we tithe. We should not do it begrudgingly but with joy in our hearts,| 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." | understanding that He has blessed us, and it is an honor for us to be able to have the opportunity to bless others with that money. This is a way God instills discipline into our lives and creates an environment where we need to be smart with the money that He gives us through our careers (which He gave us the talent to achieve).

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom:

The ability to understand things clearly and realize the merit they hold is one of the most important things in life. If we can understand where someone is coming from, their perspective, then we can see their point of view and realize why they say or do something different than ourselves. If we can seek the wisdom to discern these things we will have a life that is filled with peace and pleasantness. This does not mean terrible things won't happen to us, it means we will see them much like Paul:| Philippians 1:29-30 "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have." | God created the heavens and the earth (everything, everywhere, from nothing) and poured out His love to us. Why do we believe He won't keep His promises? We can't lose sight of what He has given to us, which is everything, we must remember that He is the end goal. If we walk in humility with the Lord He will give us; peace, confidence, joy, understanding, wisdom, and life. Without Him, we are dead. This should drive humility through our actions because we have no foundation of pride through Him, thus when we see our friends we won't do evil towards them or envy those around us for what they have or can do, He is enough. It is hard for us to wrap this concept around our heads because we rarely acknowledge that Christ is enough. And when I say this, I mean truly acknowledge it fully. I know that I struggle with this even when I am praying to God, I can hear my mind saying: "I don't trust you can do this." It is in my head and I attempt to shut it out, but I can't. Or, when I am going through a hard time and I say: "I know God will keep me safe through this." but, in my heart, I am thinking of 1,000 other things I could try to do instead of trusting what He is doing. I want control of the situation and I don't trust God's timing.

Dear Lord, I pray that you will grant me wisdom in life, especially while I am searching for a wife, a career, and how I should budget my finances. Please grant me the patience to seek your plan and not my own. I long to be wise, but I am a fool. I long to be close to you, but my mind screams don't trust God. Please show me your way and not mine. Draw me closer to you. Amen. 

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